It’s not a matter of a transfer free, which would be insignificant for the 33-year-old Júlio César. We’re talking $1.5-$2 million – nothing for the kind of clubs that could be asking for the Confederations Cup Golden Gloves winner. If one of those clubs is Arsenal, whose solution (or lack there of) at goalkeeper could mean the difference between holding off Spurs or being passed for a Champions League spot,* a couple million dollars truly becomes a bargain.

*Since Joe Posnanski writes for NBC Sports, I have a little more license to do these, right? Good, because it’s pretty insane to talk about passing teams for Champions League spots the day the transfer window opens.

The bigger issue for the Gunners in any César pursuit are the club’s principles, ideas that usually preclude playing a player like him the $106,000 per week (£70,000 pounds) he’s making with Queens Park Rangers. Although you don’t hear the term wage structure floated around the Emirates as often as you used to, the club remains dogmatic in its approach to finances. It’s why $197,000 a week (£130,000) is controversial for Gonzalo Higuaín. It’s why the club’s record transfer fee remains a relatively low $22.8 million (£15 million).

But to dissociate transfer fees and wages when assessing a player’s cost would be mistake. There are levels in which that distinction may matter, but in terms of the financial commitment you have to make to a player, both have to be considered as part of a total outlay. It shouldn’t be looked at as $2 million being cheap for César or his wages being too high. The combined package should be considered against what the combined package for a similar talent would run.

Seventy thousand pounds a week does seem high for César. It’s undoubtedly how he was lured to a club like QPR. But at this point, Arsenal may not be able to get him off that number, a number that’s undoubtedly contributing to his low transfer fee. They may need to look at the near $7 million total commitment and ask if they could get a better deal elsewhere.

Given what we saw from César in Brazil, what we saw in the recent past at Inter Milan, and what we saw at times for QPR, it’s hard to imagine Arsenal finding that value elsewhere. As long as his transfer fee stays very low, Arsenal should be able to justify his wages.

Oh Arsene, how you have met your ideal mate, Stan.
Bid 80%and play chicken. We didn’t overpay for Mata
We wont for Cesar, Fellaini, Rooney or Huiagin.
We are super, super at coupn-cut supermarket Shopping.
Great for investment funds. How many banks ever won a cup?